In this fascinating exploration of citizenship and the politics of culture in contemporary France, Ingram examines two theatre troupes in Provence, charting the evolution of new models for society and citizenship in a rapidly changing France.
Artistic Citizenship asks the question: how do people in the creative arts prepare for, and participate in, civic life? This volume, developed at NYU’s Tisch School, identifies the question of artistic citizenship to explore civic identity – the role of the artist in social and cultural terms. With contributions from many connected to the Tisch School including: novelist E.L. Doctorow, performance artist Karen Finley, theatre guru Richard Schechner, and cultural theorist Ella Shohat, this book is indispensable to anyone involved in arts education or the creation of public policy for the arts.
Theaters of Citizenship investigates independent Egyptian performance practices from 2004 to 2014 to demonstrate how young dramatists staged new narratives of citizenship outside of state institutions, exploring rights claims and enacting generational identity. Using historiography, ethnography, and performance analysis, the book traces this avant-garde from the theater networks of the late Hosni Mubarak era to productions following the Egyptian revolution of 2011. In 2004, independent cultural institutions were sites for more democratic forms of youth organization and cultural participation than were Egyptian state theaters. Sonali Pahwa looks at identity formation within this infrastructure for new cultural production: festivals, independent troupes, workshops, and manifesto movements. Bringing institutional changes in dialogue with new performance styles on stages and streets, Pahwa conceptualizes performance culture as a school of citizenship. Independent theater incubated hope in times of despair and pointed to different futures for the nation’s youth than those seen in television and newspapers. Young dramatists countered their generation’s marginalization in the neoliberal economy, media, and political institutions as they performed alternative visions for the nation. An important contribution to the fields of anthropology and performance studies, Pahwa’s analysis will also interest students of sociology and Egyptian history.
This open access book discusses how citizenship is performed today, mostly through the optic of the arts, in particular the performing arts, but also from the perspective of a wide range of academic disciplines such as urbanism and media studies, cultural education and postcolonial theory. It is a compendium that includes insights from artistic and activist experimentation. Each chapter investigates a different aspect of citizenship, such as identity and belonging, rights and responsibilities, bodies and materials, agencies and spaces, and limitations and interventions. It rewrites and rethinks the many-layered concept of citizenship by emphasising the performative tensions produced by various uses, occupations, interpretations and framings.
Drama is direct and immediate and this book shows how effectively it can be used to support the new curriculum subject of Citizenship Education, by putting students in someone else's shoes. It provides inspiration and guidance to teachers and youth group leaders for enabling secondary school students and youth groups to develop their skills for democracy: their oracy, non-verbal communication, listening, debating and public speaking. The section on using plays covers theatre trips, performances by visiting companies, and working on drama texts. Examples of drama exercises follow, in which students devise and share from their own experiences, improve scenes, engage in drama games and work in role. The book includes the text of the author's own short play, Making a Difference, and this is used as a case study to illustrate ways for students to enhance their understanding of government and engage directly with politicians. Playing a Part is for use in secondary schools and with youth groups and out-of-school activities. Drama and English teachers and teachers and teachers of Citzenship will find it a powerful and supportive resource.
In our contemporary world, the world of multiculturalism, how much we need the concept of citizenship as a tolerant human spirit that exudes intolerance and discrimination, the book introduces the concept of citizenship and three pioneering models, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Pope Shenouda III, as well as the role of culture and art in the spread of this concept, and the importance of the Scout community at the local and global levels. The Book explains the role of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the Arab Republic of Egypt in activating citizenship in the Scout community.
How has contemporary American theatre presented so-called undocumented immigrants? Placing theatre artists and their work within a context of on-going debate, Guterman shows how theatre fills an essential role in a critical conversation by exploring the powerful ways in which legal labels affect and change us.
This book brings together respected international academics and practitioners from citizenship and drama to debate, share their experiences and plan a way forward for academic and professional best practice in drama and citizenship education for a democratic society. Drawing on international contributions, the chapters explore fundamental ideas about theatre and drama from a global perspective with connections made to action and identity. The main section of the book showcases authors from around the world discussing their perspectives of what is happening within particular countries and exploring a range of ideas and issues that relate to vitally important matters including community, socialism, post-colonialism, diversity, inclusion and more. The final section of the book brings together teams of authors from citizenship and drama education, who discuss the essential elements of citizenship education and encourage insight and practical collaboration from drama experts. The book is unique in presenting dynamic interaction between citizenship and drama experts and encouraging academics and professionals to develop their own work in these areas. It will be of great interest to academics, researchers and students in the fields of citizenship education, drama education and all those interested in promoting social justice through education.